Abroad Pakistanis Ignored In Local Body Elections

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistanis living abroad have been overlooked once more by the Pakistani ruling regime as they would not be capable to vote in the forthcoming Local Bodies elections.

With respect to sources of Election Commission Pakistan, no province has completed lawmaking concerning endowment of right to cast votes to Pakistanis in abroad in the Local body’s elections, whereas the Election commission Pakistan cannot grant this right without lawmaking by the provinces.

An Election commission Pakistan representative expressed they could not approve abroad Pakistanis to participate in voting process, devoid of suitable lawmaking at the provincial level.

Furthermore, the officials said that the Pakistanis living in foreign countries were playing a key role in the creation and progress of the country. The officials further added that the people living abroad had sent $55 billion as foreign exchange in last five years to the country.

The ECP representative expressed his views as the Pakistanis living out of country should be involved in the LB election process.

It might be stated that last week an inter-provincial meeting was called in which it was discussed that conduction of local government elections was impossible this year since provinces had not done essential work to carry out the process.

It emerged during the meeting, directed by the Chief Election Commissioner Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani that provinces still have to complete those works that would have to be carried out once again on the basis of new survey blocks.

Secretary of Election commission Pakistan MR. Ishtiak Ahmad Khan informed reporters that all provinces had give surety of meeting and sending a request to the ECP for conduction of Local Government elections in the first week of December. Before which the requirements for the polls should be completed in November.